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> Deleting files |
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Where Did Those Files Go?
Are deleted files
really erased from your computer?
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A
common misconception when deleting files is that
they are completely removed from the hard drive.
However, users should be aware that highly sensitive
data can still be retrieved from a hard drive even
after the files have been deleted because the data
is not really gone.
Files that are moved to the recycle bin (on PCs) or
the trash can (on Macs) stay in those folders until
the user empties the recycle bin or trash can. Once
they have been deleted from those folders, they are
still located in the hard drive and can be retrieved
with the right software.
Any
time that a file is deleted from a hard drive, it is
not erased. What is erased is the bit of information
that points to the location of the file on the hard
drive. The operating system uses these pointers to
build the directory tree structure (the file
allocation table), which consists of the pointers
for every other file on the hard drive. When the
pointer is erased, the file essentially becomes
invisible to the operating system. The file still
exists; the operating system just doesn't know how
to find it. It is, however, relatively easy to
retrieve deleted files with the right software.
The
only way to completely erase a file with no trace is
to overwrite the data. The operating system will
eventually overwrite files that have no pointers in
the directory tree structure, so the longer an
unpointed file remains in the hard drive the greater
the probability that it has been overwritten.
There are also many "file erasing" software products
currently on the market that will automatically
permanently erase files by overwriting them.
Source:
www.webopedia.com
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